Apple Inc. previewed the iPhone at last month's Macworld Conference & Expo, and OQO Inc. announced its Model 02 mobile PC at the Consumer Electronics Show that same week -- with Bill Gates showcasing the PC in his CES keynote speech. This week, the two devices seemed to be front and center in the minds of attendees at Gartner Inc.'s Wireless & Mobile Summit 2007 in Grapevine, Texas.

For example, IT managers flocked to a small OQO booth on the trade show floor to view the 1-lb. ultramobile unit, which has a 5-in. display and can run either Windows Vista or Windows XP Professional.

The OQO system "is pretty neat" and might help solve the of having to lug an 8-lb. laptop on business trips, said George Genevezos, senior IT security analyst at Sabre Holdings Inc. in South Lake, Texas.

Other conference attendees voiced admiration for the PC's clear display, small docking station and Bluetooth-capable keyboard, among other peripherals. But there was no mistaking that the OQO system, the iPhone and other new mobile devices will pose challenges to many IT managers.

"There just seems to be more of everything in mobile devices and software to deal with this year," Genevezos said. "It seems that every vendor imaginable is getting into the mobile space as quickly as possible."